Paraguayan opposition demands end to bribery, better vehicle control after fatal accident

Opposition deputies in Paraguay have sharply criticized the government's oversight of road safety, demanding an end to alleged bribery and improved vehicle inspections following a fatal accident at the Pedrozo crossing. The lawmakers directed their criticism at the Minister of Public Works, Claudia Centurión, and the director of the National Transit Agency, Félix Jiménez, accusing them of failing to implement effective controls.

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Dinatran is just a collection entity for the crown. They placed a shady character in the National Transit Agency. The only thing done is collecting. Nothing has improved in the country's transit.

Deputy Diosnel Aguilera (PLRA) stated that the National Directorate of Transit (Dinatran) and the National Transit Agency primarily function as revenue-generating entities. "Dinatran is just a collection entity for the crown. They placed a shady character in the National Transit Agency. The only thing done is collecting. Nothing has improved in the country's transit," Aguilera asserted. He specifically pointed to Jiménez, who assumed his role shortly after a previous accident at the same crossing in 2024 that claimed nine lives.

Deputy Rocío Vallejo (PPQ) lamented the ruling party's attempts to dismiss the opposition's concerns as politically motivated. "No one can gain political advantage from a death, but a death should make us question what is being done to reverse it," Vallejo said. She emphasized the transversal responsibility of multiple institutions in preventing such tragedies, noting that six people died in the recent Pedrozo accident, two years after a previous major incident at the same location.

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No one can gain political advantage from a death, but a death should make us question what is being done to reverse it.

Vallejo urged authorities to cease accepting bribes that allow poorly maintained or overloaded vehicles to operate on the country's roads. "Speak the truth, stop taking bribes. All those who bribe to allow vehicles to circulate in poor condition and without the necessary requirements. Bribery leads to death. There isn't a single culprit; the blame is transversal. There are millions of avoidable deaths due to lack of control," she declared.

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Speak the truth, stop taking bribes. All those who bribe to allow vehicles to circulate in poor condition and without the necessary requirements. Bribery leads to death. There isn't a single culprit; the blame is transversal. There are millions of avoidable deaths due to lack of control.

Independent Deputy Raúl Benítez expressed concern that the ruling party might only be seeking to weather the public outcry rather than implement lasting solutions. "Do we want to solve this, or do we just want the storm to pass?" Benítez questioned. He recalled that following a similar incident in 2024, the government had implemented a measure, implying a lack of follow-through on long-term safety improvements.

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Do we want to solve this, or do we just want the storm to pass?